Deep Inside
by Daichilover
Summary: "Kagome's the one you should be calling noble. She could have died. It looks like she almost did, too." Hearing that, something in Inuyasha shook. For all that she irritated him, for all the dirt and the insults hurled at him, he didn't want her to die. He felt something surge up inside of him, something he couldn't describe.-A tale where what matters most is deep inside. AU.
1. Debt

**A/N: A new day, a new story. I was drawn to my computer and this is what literally came out on the first try. Hope you enjoy the read.**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha!**

** Prologue: Running**

A shadow whizzed past the tall, oak trees expertly avoiding them. Feet pounded on the hard, cold earth, twigs and leaves breaking at each impact. She didn't dare look back, not when doing so could get her caught. Her heavy breaths were loud and she only hoped that those chasing her were far enough to be deaf to them. It was taking everything she could muster to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The trees suddenly began thinning and she knew that she was in trouble. Soon, it cleared and she met a stone wall, too steep to climb and too wide for her to find a way around. Her chest heaved in exhaustion and as she turned around, she came to face exactly what she had been hoping to avoid.

_Them._

**Chapter 1: Debt**

Kagome held her hood up as high as she could, gaze cast on the floor as she trudged through the crowded streets of Din. It was trading season and the roads were packed with merchants, selling their wares and customers that came from all over the region to make a good bargain. Kagome avoided all the calls, all the offers and kept her gaze straight on to the mansion at the end of the long, winding pebbled dirt road

He just had to be there.

The dry, arid city air was hard on her lungs, lungs that had only known the moist air of the coastal regions. She felt like she was in a sauna in the hideous and impractically long coat she had on, but she did not want any attention drawn to her, especially when she might be recognized.

She came up to the steps of a large, luxurious house made of imported red brick instead of the usual golden adobe brick she had been so accustomed to seeing in the area. No one was guarding the door, but then again, she did not think they would be. Whoever had called her here was expecting her. She only hoped that she had what she wanted.

Kagome threw her hood back once the door opened, her black waves spreading as they were free of their restraint. A young, pretty bronze-skinned girl ushered her in quickly, having been instructed beforehand to let the older girl inside. She directed Kagome to the living room, in which her eyes darted everywhere nervously. All the finery made her feel uncomfortable. She wished she had dressed a little nicer, but she shrugged to herself; there was no time to regret anything now.

"Miss, the master will see you now."

Kagome whirled around to see the same girl waiting for her at the doorway. The raven-haired girl nodded wordlessly and followed the younger girl when she turned to lead her to the master of the house. Kagome gulped, gathering up her courage and keeping a tight grip on her hope.

The young girl led her to an open room and as she entered, her gaze fell onto the last person she thought she'd ever see again.

"Souta!" Kagome ran to her younger brother, who stood wide-eyed as he was gathered in arms he thought he'd never feel again. Though he was older now, a boy of fourteen years, he could not help but cry a little as he was reunited with someone so dear to him.

"Miss Higurashi." A cold, distant voice caught her attention. Kagome straightened up to see a tall, beautiful and formidable man standing in the door way of the patio. She tensed immediately, her senses on alert a she felt a strong power from this man emanating from him with strong control. Whoever he was, he was not your run-of-the-mill demon.

But, then again, who was she to talk?

"If I may be so bold as to ask," Kagome began, "Who are you and why did you send for me?"

The cold amber eyes locked on hers and for a second, Kagome thought she felt frozen.

"You may want to sit down, Miss Higurashi."

Kagome took a seat next to her brother, examining the man sitting before them. His silver hair was unusual and was the first thing that stuck out at her. Next where the cold, hard amber eyes. No eyes had ever struck her as frigid as his did. They sent shivers of fear down her spine. Purple marks were visible on his cheeks and he didn't seem to try to hide them. He was a proud man, she could tell, from the way he held himself and directed himself towards her.

"So?" She broke the silence. "I would like to know why I'm here and who you are."

"You may call me Sesshoumaru." The man responded. Kagome gasped slightly, but he paid her no mind as he continued. "You are here because I wanted you to be."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, her hand suddenly going to her brother's. She knew exactly who he was dealing with and it made her uneasy to be in front of him. Being brought by the Crown Prince of the country that had nearly wiped out your people—maybe uneasy wasn't even the half of it.

"I need something taken care of," His amber eyes flickered from her to her brother. "But I do not like asking, so I have paid you with your brother."

Kagome narrowed her eyes, suddenly understanding his plot. "So now I owe you."

"That is correct. Your people," he paused as if the word was repugnant, "have a long-standing quality of being duty-bound to honor contracts. I expect you are quite the same."

The young woman sighed, realizing that he had trapped her into a deal she hadn't even seen coming. Even if she wanted to refute his claim and walk out of there with her brother, she was sure that they were never going to see the light of day if she didn't agree. She gulped. At the very least, she had gotten her brother back.

"What is it that you want me to do? I have no skills of value and I do not intend in selling myself either." Kagome bobbed her head in conviction as she bluntly put her limits on the table.

"Do not fool me, girl." Seshoumaru's face did not contort in anger, but his voice was laced with it. "I know what you are, Weaver."

The raven-haired girl gasped as her heart began pounding harder and louder. How could he know? She had been terribly careful with not using her powers in the city and she was sure she had never seen him before. So, how did he know?

"How?" She whispered, her hand squeezing her brother's.

"You do not need to know." He leaned back, his crisp white shirt collar flapping a little with the slight breeze. "Let it be suffice to say that I acquired it from secure means of which you have no reason to fear." He reached out for a cigar that sat perched on a metal dish. "What I wish for you to do, as payment for returning your brother, is to aid my own younger brother in defeating the idiot that has been nothing but a nuisance for my father."

"I do not wish to use my powers for anyone." Kagome replied hotly.

"You have no choice." He lit the cigar and puffed out. "You will not leave this mansion alive if you do not agree."

Kagome did not flinch since she had already anticipated this. Instead, she glanced at her brother. Tall though he was, he was still young. And afraid. She could see it in his eyes, those blue-gray eyes that were so unique to her people. She couldn't risk their lives anymore—even if she had to use her powers, she would do so to keep them alive. Like he said, she had no choice.

"Deal."

A cold smile appeared on his face, the only expression she would ever see on his face. "Good. You and your brother will be sent out tonight."

And that's how she came to be here, riding through the plains in a carriage with Souta, who was dressed in an expensive white collared shirt and breeches fit for the "station" they were trying to play. Her own ugly cloak had been traded for a light, short-sleeved pink dress, to keep up with the illusion that they were the children of a wealthy merchant on a visit to relatives in the countryside.

But the countryside was the last place they were going to.

From what Kagome had been able to glean from Cold Eyes, (as she liked to refer him to, since the name fit him so well) his brother had set up a small band of people on the shores of Walik, and that he needed a weaver to cross the continent with greater efficiency and dispose of the man he had said was a nuisance to his father. That, at least, had set her mind at ease. She didn't want to use her powers to fight, not when so many before her had lost themselves to the sickening power that consumed you until your very soul was lost to it.

Still, she didn't know what to expect.

And as the plains turned into rocky hills and then to soft, sandy ground she knew they were almost there. Night had begun to fall and the stars began revealing themselves in the skies. She could make out a fire in the distance, the smoke rising and disappearing into the indigo sky.

They had made it to the crown's secret protectors—the Watchers.

** A/N: That's it for this chapter. If you liked it, please review and favorite. Have I caught anyone's interest? Stay tuned and you'll find out what a Weaver exactly is! **

**~Daichi**


	2. Weavers

**A/N: Just as a note, this will be updated regularly because I'm writing ahead of posting (for the first time ever) and right now I'm three chapters ahead of this. **

** Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter 2: Weavers**

The carriage made an abrupt stop near the encampment, jolting its two passengers rather roughly. The door swung open and Souta jumped out, holding out a hand for his sister. She took it gratefully, as she was somewhat clumsy with the shoes she had been given, and stepped off without falling flat on her face. The driver took out their provisions from a compartment in the back, threw them on the grown and bid the two good night.

"Well, I guess that's all the help he's going to be giving us." Kagome muttered to herself as she watched the carriage leave in a cloud of dust

"You can't blame the poor guy." Souta bent over to pick up the bags that had been left on the dewy grass. "The Watchers are not rumored to be the nicest people, you know." He stood up and tossed a light bag toward his sister, who caught it with ease.

"I know, but still, I wish we didn't have meet them by ourselves." She glanced worriedly in the direction of the campfire.

Souta glanced at Kagome, a smirk playing on his face. "Scared, Sis?"

Kagome's cheeks burned at the accusation. "I am not!"

"Are too!" Her brother teased, laughing.

"Are not!"

"Are what?"

Both siblings jumped and shouted in fear at the voice, just as a silver-haired man jumped down from one of the few trees in the area. The smirk on his face told that he thought scaring them out of their wits was funny.

"Who are you?" Kagome was the quickest to gather herself together and sent a glare in the man's direction, obviously for proving that she was indeed a little afraid. Her heart beat was finally calming down from the rapid pace it had been set off on.

"Who are _you_?" The man repeated back, an edge of playfulness hinting in his voice. Kagome caught the way his inhuman ears twitched towards her.

_Half-demon,_ she thought. She remembered vaguely someone mentioning that there was a half-demon among the Watchers. He must have been the one sent to pick them up.

"Weavers." She answered simply, arms crossed. Cold eyes had said that the word was all they needed to say.

The half-demon's expression hardened suddenly and his voice lost that playfulness she had detected just mere moments before.

"I guess you guys are the ones my stupid brother sent," The silver-haired half-demon scowled, bending down to take the few belongings the siblings had bothered to bring. "Follow me." He growled behind him, as he began walking towards the campfire.

Kagome arched an eyebrow at her brother in confusion as they both set on the same path as the now growling man took. The camp was not far as it didn't take long to finish the silent trek. The raven-haired girl could now see that there were more people eating and talking around the fire.

The silver-haired man dropped her bags roughly on the floor and Kagome had to fight the urge to say something rude to him. The others glanced up at the thud and Kagome felt herself shrink just a bit in their gazes.

"Oh, Inuyasha, you're back!" A man with a small ponytail and a large smile on his face stood up.

"Miroku, a word." The half-demon gestured to the man away from the fire. He nodded, albeit hesitantly and glanced at the woman that was sitting next him, touching her shoulder for just a second and looking at her significantly. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and as the two men walked away, she stood up to greet the Weavers.

"It's nice to finally meet you!" Sango smiled, holding out her hand. Kagome smiled back, taking her hand. Souta respectively bowed his head and took her hand as well.

"I'm Kagome and this is my younger brother, Souta."

Sango nodded and pulled both of them to meet the other two members of the group. One was a young man, who looked no older than Souta, named Shippou. Kagome, though, could sense that he carried a great deal of magic, and it was probably why he was on such a prestigious team at his age.

"And this is Kirara, my loyal companion." Sango placed a hand on the demon cat's fur, stroking it gently as she lay on the ground in front of the fire.

Souta, for his part, took to staying next to Shippou. Kagome, though, crouched and looked at the beautiful two-tailed feline in wonder. "She's beautiful," She murmured quietly.

Sango's eyes shone with pride. "She is, isn't she? I've been friends with Kirara since I was a little girl." She turned to Kagome, a grin spreading on her face. "It's nice to have another girl to agree with me on these things."

"The others don't think that way?"

The young woman laughed. "Men don't usually go complimenting others is such a girly fashion. Miroku might say something lecherous and Inuyasha might say something semi-nice, but that's as much as I'll ever get out of them about anything."

"Let me guess—Inuyasha is the one that brought us, right?" Kagome stated, standing up quickly.

"Yep." Sango nodded, a look of concern crossing her features. "He wasn't rude, was he?"

The raven-haired girl nodded. "He was, but not at first. I just don't understand why he turned so cold so quickly."

Sango looked as if she wanted to say something, but if she had been planning to, she swallowed her words and instead replied, "Don't mind him too much. He's always grumpy about one thing or another."

"Fine." Kagome sighed. "But when do you think they'll be back? I haven't been able to properly introduce myself to either of them."

"Oh, I think they might be gone for a while. Might as well get comfortable." Sango motioned to the rest her things. Kagome decided to take her advice and dragged her brother so they could set up some blankets for the night.

By the time the moon was high in the sky, everyone but Kagome had fallen asleep. She liked to gaze at the twinkling lights in the sky and was happy to see them uncovered by clouds. As Kagome was snuggling in, thanking the gods that the ground was soft due to their nearness to the ocean, the two men came back, trying to keep their conversation in a low tone of voice, but not doing a very good job of it. She quickly turned her backs to their faces, so that they wouldn't see she was awake.

"Inuyasha, I've told you a million times that we need them here! Can't you please just act civil to them?"

"And I've told you a million times as well that we don't need 'em! We're perfectly capable of crossing the continent by ourselves."

"Then why did your brother send them?"

Inuyasha grunted. "Because he's a meddlesome stupid prince with too much time on his hands."

Miroku sighed loudly. "Look, there's nothing you can do about this anymore. Just suck it up and deal with it."

Inuyasha growled low, but did not reply. Kagome heard rummaging and then two thuds, one louder than the other. No doubt Inuyasha was the louder one.

Kagome clenched her fists in the blanket. So Inuyasha had a problem with her and her brother being here, huh? Anger boiled inside her as she realized that it was probably because they were Weavers; his cold response to her answer confirmed it. Well, she wasn't going to let him talk down to her or her brother. If he so much as lifted a finger against them, he'd regret ever being born.

* * *

When she was finally able to sleep, images of her village in its final moments kept rolling through her dreams—the fire, the screams and her family's terrified faces. How her mother and grandfather had died trying to give her a way to escape. How her brother had been taken away, kicking and desperately screaming her name for help. How she had almost died in that forest.

"Oh, _shut up_, already."

Kagome's eyes flew open as she felt a hard pillow hitting her face. She sat up abruptly, startled, unaware of her surroundings for a second before realizing where she was and who she was with. The sun's rays were barely tipping over the horizon. She sighed in relief but then she caught of Inuyasha. She had to admit that he looked handsome, even when it looked like he had just woken up. Still, he was being a jerk again.

Her mouth pulled down into a scowl as she regarded Inuyasha and his annoyed expression. "Excuse me for interrupting your beauty sleep, _your highness._" She stated, sarcasm dripping heavily in her words.

Inuyasha growled. "If it wasn't for your groaning and tossing around, I would have been able to _actually_ _rest _last night. Half the country probably heard you." He stood up and stretched. "If you're gonna be like that every night, I might have to sleep at least a league away."

"Inuyasha, stop insulting Kagome." Sango called out from her roll, slowly getting up and waking up from her slumber. "It's barely dawn and you're already going at it?" She gently pushed Miroku awake, whose bedroll was right next to hers.

"It's not my fault she couldn't shut up last night."

Miroku laughed sleepily from his bedroll. "So it's like that already?"

The others ignored him after Sango bonked him on the head and hissed a reproach his way.

Kagome frowned, turning back to the half-demon. "If you keep insulting me, you'll regret it."

"Like I'm afraid of what you can do to me." He smirked. "What are you gonna do? Throw mud pies at me?"

"Inuyasha, I don't think you understand—" Miroku tried to warn Inuyasha, but it was too late. The tension rolled off Kagome in waves.

"Oh yes, something along those lines."

Inuyasha yawned, pretending to be bored. "Please."

And that's when she snapped.

Lifting her hand gracefully, fingers finding a pattern, she let it swoop down as she shouted, "Osuwari!"

* * *

Inuyasha hadn't known what he was expecting, but he sure as hell did not expect to be eating dirt. _Literally. _All he knew was that he had suddenly felt a heavy pressure above him, pushing him down to meet the ground.

Picking himself up, (and spitting out some dirt that had made it inside his mouth) he restrained himself from the string of curses he wanted to utter and opted for a word that was sure to prick her side. "_Witch_."

"How _dare_ you—" Kagome's hand twitched at her side, but her brother caught her hand before she could raise it. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as the siblings held a silent-to-all-but-him exchange.

_"Kagome, calm down! If you keep going like this, they might just decide to dump us in the ocean."_

He grinned, as he wiped off the dirt off his face. The kid was smarter than he thought.

_"So I should just take his insult lying down? Is that what you're saying?" _Kagome whispered harshly.

_ "No. I'm mad he called you a Witch too, but please, no more Weaving. Not here. Please."_

Inuyasha could hear the plea in the younger man's voice and he saw the way his sister's shoulders slumped in defeat. She turned around and gave him a cold glare with those blue-grey eyes, brushing past him harshly, her raven hair bouncing behind her.

"Sango, I'd like to change please."

Sango jumped a little, startled that the girl had walked up to her. Glancing at Inuyasha for a second, she responded warmly. "Of course, Kagome. I know somewhere we can change and, um, _talk_ in private."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and made his way to his things, crouching down and gathering some clothes to change into.

If that girl was going to be as difficult as today, then the journey ahead of them was going to be Hell.

"Kagome, you have to tell me, what exactly is a Weaver?" Sango's eyes were alight with curiosity. Kagome couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's child-like enthusiasm. Strapping her belt securely and relishing the freedom pants gave her, she began to explain.

"Well, Weavers are a long-lived race that can manipulate the elements in all kinds of ways with their hands. It's a type of magic that no one else has. Because of the way our hands have to move when we use our incantations, people have called us Weavers for centuries."

Sango nodded. "I see. So how does your magic differ from anyone else's?"

Kagome felt the beginnings of a smile play on her face. No doubt Sango was trying to ask about why she didn't like being called a Witch .

"The main difference between a Witch—and any other magical being except for forest creatures—and a Weaver is the origin of their magic. A Witch's magic is borrowed from the natural powers of Nature and usually they need a medium to control this magic." Kagome paused, trying to find the cloak she had managed to snag from her bag in her anger earlier. "A Weaver is _born_ with magic inside them. It's a part of their very soul. Nature and its elements bend to our will because, according to legend, Mother Nature gave the magic to the first Weaver, so she considers us as equals."

"Wow," Sango breathed, tying her boots up. "That sounds amazing. Can your brother Weave too?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes, but he's still learning. Up until recently, he had been taking lessons from my mother and grandfather. I've finished all my training though, so I can teach him the rest." She smiled, glazing over the rest of her family quickly to avoid the pain she felt when she thought of them. "But what about you? How did you get yourself in the famous Watchers?"

Sango laughed. "It's a long story actually. I come from a family of ancient Demon Slayers, but no one in my family has done that for centuries. We've been fighters for so long, no one remembers who started the tradition. I've mastered several combat techniques, martial arts, weapons and am strong enough to lift a Hiraikoustu." She patted her trusty weapon that was leaning against the wall. Kagome smiled, but sensed there was more to the story.

"And?" She asked, her voice a soft encouragement.

Sango sighed and looked down at the ground. "And then my family got really sick. The disease was so bad that only my brother and I survived it." Sango swallowed hard. "As a woman, they almost didn't take me seriously when I went to the elimination rounds." Then a rueful smile began playing on her lips, "But they did when they realized a woman was the only one left standing."

Kagome laughed. "That must've been hilarious! Oh, how I wish I could've seen their faces."

"It was hilarious." Sango assured her friend, and then realizing they were all ready, began dragging Kagome out. "Come on, or they'll leave without us!"

"I believe that." Kagome smiled, watching as Sango walked ahead of her. She wanted to ask about her brother, but she figured that just as she hadn't wanted to speak too much about her mother and grandfather, Sango had done the same thing in regards to her brother. She shook her head and dispelled her mind of the negative thoughts and focused on the happier ones.

Sighing happily she contemplated their conversation. It was nice to have finally told someone what a Weaver was and not have them look at her like she could turn into a monster on the spot. Granted, she had held some things back, but only because Sango asked what she was in general. Kagome didn't know why, but she wanted to keep the secrets of her own specific powers to herself for as long as she could. Whatever the outcome of this journey, Kagome did know one thing for sure.

Something big was going to happen.

* * *

**A/N: The best way to think about Kagome and Souta's powers is to think of the Avatar series. I started writing this story a long time ago (the first two chapters had been written for years before I revisited it!) and I just realized how much the magic sounded like Avatar! Unintentional, but what can you do? Still, as Kagome hinted, there is more to her than that. Anyway, please put this story on alert if you want to find out. Feedback would also be very much appreciated!**


	3. Unexpected News

**A/N: Thank you for the response for the last chapter. Truly, your feedback is appreciated! I'm also doing my best to post on schedule. Don't be afraid to remind me!**

**Chapter 3: Unexpected news**

Kagome and Sango quickly made it back to camp, where the boys were all ready and packed up. Souta had a smile on his face and Kagome was just so happy that she finally had him back. It had been too long since the last time she had seen him smile. He spied her quickly, walking over to her with her bag in hand.

"Packed your things, Sis. Hope you don't mind."

And how could she mind when his lopsided smile was directed at her? She ruffled his hair, despite his quiet protests of not being a little kid anymore, and accepted her bag. "Thanks, little brother."

Inuyasha watched their exchange from a few feet away and couldn't help but notice that the smile adorning Kagome's face made her look very pretty. Realizing what he had just thought, he shook his head, cursing himself. No matter how pretty he thought she was, there was no changing the fact that she was a Weaver. They were all dishonest, backstabbing and selfish people and a pretty face wasn't about to change that.

"Quit your yappin' and get movin', unless you're going to wait until doomsday to start walking."

He saw Kagome's blue-gray eyes flash in anger and her lips dip into a frown. "Shut up, Inuyasha." Turning up her nose at him and hooking an arm with her brother, she passed him and said, "You're not the boss of me, idiot."

And with a flick of her hand and a muttered _Osuwari_, Inuyasha was picking himself off once more from the crater that now adorned the ground. Kagome laughed while Souta looked at the scene in worry. Even Sango had to stifle a giggle at the sight.

"Why I oughtta—" Inuyasha began to say, getting up lightning quick and ready to give the stupid girl a piece of his mind. Thankfully, Miroku quickly swooped in to save the day by blocking his path.

"Let it go, Inuyasha. Let's just get moving without you guys going at each other?

Inuyasha growled but he wasn't an idiot, despite Kagome's earlier insult and stupid magic trick. It would be much better if he just kept his mouth shut and his thoughts away from the infuriating girl. Especially since her legs actually looked really nice in those pant—dammit there he was at it again! Where the hell was this stuff even coming from anyway? He really needed to pull himself together, for his sake. The sooner they could get this done, the sooner he would be back by himself without anybody bothering him.

"Don't bother, Miroku, idiots like him don't listen." Kagome flipped her hair over her shoulder to emphasize her words.

Well, if she started it, he'd be damned if he didn't if he let her have the last word.

"Wench," He growled, easily getting ahead of her. He smirked when he didn't hear her respond. Ha, he'd gotten her good.

"Osuwari!"

* * *

Kagome breathed in deeply, relishing the warmth that radiated from the sun. It was easier to breath than in the desert town she'd found Souta in. They were currently taking a small break. The sun was not as high in the sky, so Kagome figured that it was late afternoon, but they had been able to walk a considerable amount.

Kirara suddenly appeared next to Kagome, rubbing against herself like a domesticated cat would. The girl laughed and bent down to run her fingers through the silky fur.

"Kagome, could you come here for a second?" Sango called, looking at the map in her hands. She was flanked by Inuyasha and Miroku, while Souta and Shippo had struck up a conversation a few feet away from them.

"What is it, guys?"

"We're going to be coming up to some old ruins soon." Miroku glanced at the others. "By the looks of it, it's too expansive to just walk around them. The quickest way would be to go straight through."

Kagome felt uneasy because she knew that ruins could have any amount of magic-good or evil-in them. "There's no other way?" she asked.

"Keh. Not scared, are you?" Inuyasha shot her a smirk and watched in amusement as the color of Kagome's cheeks rose. She was as red as a tomato!

"I'm not scared!" She countered indignantly. She hated when he would assume such ridiculous things. He didn't know her, didn't know what she had gone through. "Besides, I was just asking because there could be any number of things we could run into inside the ruin's walls." She turned to Miroku and Sango. "Ruins are known to sometimes harbor a fair amount of magical creatures and sometimes even worse."

Since many ruins, including the one they were discussing, had been abandoned by people long ago, nobody bothered with them. Anybody foolish enough to go in without being armed would meet certain death. Night time was especially worse, because the creatures that usually thrived in the dark were of the worst kind. Kagome shuddered just at the mere thought of encountering one of them. She had heard stories growing up of even the strongest men returning in a permanent traumatized state, never again to sleep in the dark in peace.

"We have no choice." Miroku shook his head. "Besides, we're a strong group. Whatever's in those ruins couldn't possibly stand up to all of us."

"Well, in any case, we'll never make it before sundown at the rate we're walking." Sango sighed, rolling the map up in her hands. "We're going to have to pair up."

"Pair up?" Kagome questioned.

Sango put a finger to her chin as she thought out her plan. "Because I don't trust Miroku with another woman, he'll have ride with me on Kirara." The demon cat meowed her consent and proceeded to shift into her larger form. Miroku grumbled under his breath something about a cursed hand, but Kagome didn't listen too hard and instead smiled knowingly. She knew that there was something brewing between those two, so she wasn't surprised when Miroku didn't argue with her reasoning. By the look on his face (one that he tried his hardest for Sango not to see), it looked like if he had even been expecting it.

"Either Kagome or Souta can ride on Inuyasha's back." Miroku suggested, his eyes full of mischief, doing his best to not to grin.

"Shippo said he can create something big enough to hold us both!" Souta shouted excitedly. Unbeknownst to the others, Shippo had been keeping a keen ear to their conversation. He liked having someone else to talk with that wouldn't be annoyed. He could be a regular teenager when he was talking with his new comrade-in-arms. "C'mon, Kagome, you know it would be weird for me to ride on Inuyasha's back anyway."

"You guys are talkin' like I'm not even here! Don't I have a say about whether or not I want to carry that wench across the goddamn country?!" The inuhanyou growled.

"Well, since you were the once to complain about how slow everyone was going, it serves you well to actually help! Sango has Kirara and has offered me a seat, Souta and Shippo can travel together so that leaves Kagome by herself." Miroku suddenly turned on his friend, the mirth gone from his expression. "Don't forget that we actually have something important to do. Stop acting like a petulant child!"

Kagome blinked as she saw the annoyance flash across Miroku's face. She'd certainly never seen him like that, and by the looks of Inuyasha's slack-jawed face, neither had he. She had to admit, riding on his back would get them to the ruins quicker. Even if the guy hated her, couldn't he at least see the merit of the plan?

Her thoughts were interrupted when a sound from above alerted them to another presence. In one fell swoop, a hawk descended rapidly towards them. Kagome cried out, surprised, but held her scream as soon as she saw Inuyasha hold up his hand. The hawk perched on it, and now that it was closer, she could see the piece of paper tied around its leg. Once the hawk's leg was free, it lifted into the air and began its journey home.

All eyes were on the half demon as he took the paper. Inuyasha didn't know what to make of the small piece of inked parchment, knowing exactly who's hawk it had been attached to. "It's from Sesshoumaru," He whispered quickly as he unfolded the letter. Why in the hell would Sesshoumaru need to send him anything when he already knew what he had to do? Trust that good for nothing, nosy, arrogant bastard to stick his nose into his business. He began to read.

_Father is dead. He was found earlier this morning. He died with honor and fatally wound his attacker, a high ranking demon among Naraku's followers. The country is in uproar. Put a stop to Naraku's nonsense and I will take care of things here._

Inuyasha felt the blood drain from his face and it took all his willpower to not rip the piece of paper in his hands No, it couldn't be possible. His father—his father couldn't be dead. He had always seemed to be larger than life, an invincible force that would always care for him. Without him, he had no one, save for his meddlesome half-brother, who gave a damn about him anymore, if Sesshoumaru even cared beyond his own self-interest in him. Father had been such a great man—a powerful ruler. How could he have been killed?

"Inuyasha, what's wrong? You haven't said a thing—" Miroku peered at the contents of the parchment in the hanyou's hands and gasped. "The king has been killed?!"

Identical gasps were heard around the group and Inuyasha looked up, only to see Kagome's eyes looking at him with sympathy. Damn it, he didn't need her sympathy or anyone else's!

"This doesn't change anything. In fact, this only proves that we need to get moving _now_." Inuyasha growled out. The others jumped slightly but immediately began to gather their things to once again hasten their journey. Kagome stood still, wondering what she should do as she watched Inuyasha's steely face.

He was bottling it up inside; she could sense it. She was always right about these type things and Kagome knew that the half-demon was hurting on the inside, even if on the outside he just looked determined. She knew how hard it was to lose family members, especially in such a tragic and unexpected way. She didn't understand, but something inside her desperately wanted to hug him, tell him that everything would work out, that it was okay to hurt.

As she moved towards him, her heart reached out to him. One way or another, Kagome _would_ find a way to help him, to be there for him, like no one had ever been for her.

* * *

**A/N: Regular updates! This is something I'm not used to, but we're going strong. I hope to continue this pattern. I have the next chapter already done. I'm just going to wait for the reviews now!**


	4. The Gift

**A/N: Hmm, I'd rate this chapter probably a strong T, just in case. Oh and sorry for the late update. I started helping out a friend at their business and it takes up a lot of time. Hopefully I have enough time during the week to keep being ahead in chapters.**

**TRIGGER WARNING: (maybe?) Mentions of attempted suicide in here. Not detailed though.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter 4: The Gift**

Kagome was startled back from her thoughts when Inuyasha stepped towards her, and without looking directly, motioned her to get on his back. She didn't waste any time climbing on. Although she blushed a little when he had to secure her legs so that she wouldn't be flailing about, she kept the blushing to a minimum as much as she could. From the muscles she could feel under her, she knew he was strong and she probably felt like a feather on his back.

He was tense and she could feel it. Instinctively, she held on tighter to him, as the scenery began to blur. The young woman wondered what was running through that thick skull of his. She wondered what pain he was hiding. Kagome really wanted to talk to him now, but she held her tongue. It would be better if they got through the ruins first, which was the priority at the moment, before she'd ask him how he was. He was the type to brood anyway.

The sun dipped lower and lower until Kagome wondered if they'd get to the ruins in time. They couldn't afford to lose a day, not with the king dead and things barely keeping

"How much longer?" She called out to Miroku beside her.

"Not much," He shouted back. "Be ready when we get there!"

* * *

The moment she slid off Inuyasha's back in front of the ruins, _something_ in the pit of her stomach told her something was off. She couldn't see anything from where they stood, but could feel it. She glanced at the others and no one seemed to notice anything.

Suddenly, a hand slipped through hers. She turned to see her brother staring back at her. They were nearly the same height now that she noticed, with him being only a few inches shorter. "You feel it too, don't you?"

She squeezed his hand. "Stay close to me, Souta." She whispered, "You're the only family I have left."

"I will." He squeezed back in assurance. "And I'll do my best to protect you, Kagome."

What went unsaid, but was understood by the siblings was that to each other, they were the only thing that mattered. Familial ties ran deep in their blood and they would be damned if they left one or the other behind. They came first before anybody else.

"We can't let our guard down," Sango broke the silence, hoisting her Hiraikoutsu up.

Miroku nodded. "We all know that these ruins might be dangerous. The sun is almost down, but as long as we hurry, we should make it through before the dark reaches these parts."

"We're wasting time," Inuyasha gripped, strapping supplies to his clothes. "We need to move _now_."

Kagome's eyes caught a worn, discolored and old sheath on his hip and wondered why Inuyasha would have it. To the untrained eye, it would have looked like a useless item, but Kagome could sense more than she could see that there was magic bound to it. She couldn't tell why or for what, but she made a mental note to ask about it out later.

Once everyone was ready, they organized their group. Inuyasha led them, flanked by Sango and Miroku, with Kagome and Souta following closely. Shippo was at the rear, making sure that nothing was going to sneak up on them. They entered silently, wary of anything that could potentially hurt them. They walked through likes this for several minutes. Kagome was actually hopeful nothing would happen.

Just then, the feeling that Kagome had felt before came back tenfold and the uneasiness caused her to speak up. "There's something in here," Kagome breathed in and out, trying to calm her racing heart. She glanced toward the others. "Can anyone else feel it?"

"Yes, I can sense it." Miroku agreed.

"It's evil," Souta said, a shiver passing though him.

"Damn it," Inuyasha growled. "It's a demon. It reeks."

"We've got to keep moving," Shippo urged. "I'll keep an eye behind us, but the sooner we get out, the better!"

And so they kept walking, their senses on alert, and hearts doused in fear. The sun slowly setting didn't help their frazzled nerves either.

They didn't get far before Inuyasha cursed.

"Shit," Inuyasha's hand immediately went to the sword sheathed and strapped around his waist. Kagome only had a moment to contemplate the action before the reason for Inuyasha's apprehension appeared.

"I was wondering when you would get there."

Everyone's eyes shot up toward the sound. Floating above them was a demon with long black hair and soulless, violet eyes. A smirk played on the demon's face and Kagome had to gulp down her fears. Her brother was in no better state, while the others immediately went into a defensive mode around them.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha yelled, with a hand still on the hilt of his sword.

The demon laughed. "If you haven't figured it out, you're more stupid than I thought, half-demon."

The growl that escaped Inuyasha's throat was feral and even Kagome had to admit, she'd never want to anger Inuyasha to that point.

"How about you come down here and fight? Or are you scared?" Inuyasha shouted.

The demon's smirk never left his face. "I have more important things to do, little half-demon. My minions will be enough to kill you all." The demon laughed evilly as a horde of demons began appearing and surrounding them.

"Are you Naraku?!" Miroku shouted, his fists clenched.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. You'll have to defeat me to find out." With a lazy wave of his hand, the demons began to attack.

"You're a coward, Naraku!" Inuyasha pulled out his sword and began to attack, Sango, Miroku and Shippo at his heels. "Come and fight me like a real demon!"

Kagome's mouth dropped at the sight of Inuyasha's sword. The magic she could feel from the sword was more than anything she had ever felt. It plowed through the demons easily, a thousand with each swing. Sango's Hirakoutsu was also living up to its fame, while Miroku had produced a staff from somewhere and was using magic through charms. He was also good at hand-to-hand combat and was holding his own. Shippo had conjured fox fire and was wielding it expertly, burning dozens of demons at a time.

She and Souta were momentarily frozen before instincts kicked in. Souta ran to aid his friend as the demons began to swarm him and used his Weaving skills to manipulate the wind and lengthen Shippo's flame so that its target range multiplied and its intensity grew. They gave each other a high five as another horde of demons came their way.

Kagome flicked her wrists and constricted the air around the demons that were heading her way. They fell to the ground as they choked and withered away; Kagome kept a tight grip on her powers, careful to not constrict the air around her friends as she did it to other demons. She then waved her arms and began lifting massive pieces of earth. She threw them at a pack of demons heading for Sango's back, crushing them to the ground. Sango nodded gratefully and Kagome continued to assist the others.

The demon's smile above them started to slip. They were actually fighting back and doing well against his minions. He frowned as he considered what else he could do to hold them back and make sure that they died here. Another evil smirk appeared as he held out his open palm, letting a purple and black mist fall from it.

The effects were almost immediate. The demons seem to revive with the dark mist surrounding them. As it reached the group, they began to cough violently.

"It's miasma!" Kagome shouted in recognition, shock and fear lacing her voice. "It'll poison us before the demons can kill us!"

"Like the hell a little bad air will kill me!" Inuyasha shouted back to her as he continued to swing as if the miasma wasn't affecting him.

"We can't," Sango choked out, "surrender. They'll kill us." As she lifted her weapon, Kagome saw that it was noticeably harder for her to swing it. Miroku also saw this and, despite the affect that the miasma was having on him, ran to help her.

"Souta!"

At the sound of her brother's name being shouted helplessly by his friend, she frantically spun around. Souta was barely standing and she ran to him, mindful of the miasma she herself was breathing in. Shippo didn't seem to be in better shape. She pulled them closer to the others, willing herself to keep standing and keep the demons at bay. She could see the others, even Inuyasha, pushing themselves, trying their best to stay alive. The demons were slowly, but surely, gaining an advantage as the group began to be pushed together. Kagome's heart was pounding against her chest as the fear gripped her heart.

Sango suddenly collapsed, Miroku trying to help her up before the miasma was too much for him and he also fell unconscious. Shippo fell to his knees as well.

"Kagome," Souta whispered, grabbing his sister's arms as he began sinking to the ground. "I'm sorry you always have to protect me."

Tears in her eyes, she shouted over the noise of the demons around her. "No! Never be sorry, Souta."

Souta slumped against her as he fell, slipping into the same world that occupied the rest of them. Panic entered her body and she didn't know what else to do then to lash out at the demons around her. Despite her fatigue, she could still hold her own. Inuyasha was still swinging, though he was swaying a little bit now. She knew that if they fell, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Kagome had to save her brother. If she didn't, she'd never forgive herself. Irrationally, her fear made her pause in her course of action, but she quickly swallowed it. This wasn't about her anymore; this was about saving her brother and her friends.

Mustering every last bit of energy she had left, she raised her arms and brought them down, shouting. "Shikon no tama!"

A ripple ripped through the air and it was so strong that the demons, including Inuyasha, froze. A barrier materialized around the little group and began to dispel the miasma choking the air.

Inuyasha suddenly felt a lot better than before. His eyes widened and at the barrier Kagome had placed around them and marveled as power rolled off Kagome in pulses. These pulses hit the demons and they suddenly began to turn to ash and disappear. The miasma was also retreating as Kagome stretched her powers and pushed them farther.

_She's purifying them!_ Inuyasha's jaw dropped, recognizing the tell-tale signs he thought he'd never actually see in his lifetime. _But she's a Weaver, this can't be possible!_

"What's the meaning of this?!"

Kagome looked up at the angry shout. Naraku looked livid and ready to kill her on the spot. He lifted his hands and began to push more miasma at her. The sorry attempt was thrown back by the barrier and the power that was still pulsating from it. The shimmery glow of her powers illuminated the darkness and Kagome lifted her hands once more, pulling every single ounce of her magic and concentrating it to form the shape of a bow and arrow.

_If this doesn't work, I don't know what will._ Kagome thought as she pulled back the arrow of purifying magic.

"Burn in hell, Naraku!" She shouted, letting go of the blinding arrow.

It passed through the barrier and hit Naraku, erupting into an intense sphere of light that purified everything in the vicinity. The resulting scream of pain and defeat were almost music to Kagome's ears as Naraku dissolved. In his wake, something dropped to the ground and was pulled in by the magic of Kagome's barrier. Quickly, she raised her arms, flicked her wrists and closed her eyes. Inuyasha watched as the barrier pulsed, as if being reinforced.

"Kagome!"

She could hear someone faintly calling her name as she fell to her knees. She had made sure that the barrier would be able to last without her being conscious to reinforce it. That would give the others time to heal and time for her to rest. She was tired, _so_ bone-achingly tired; she welcomed the darkness that began enveloping her and fell into blissful oblivion.

* * *

Inuyasha caught the raven-haired Weaver before she fell to the ground, looking at her face in absolute wonder. Who knew that this infuriating girl carried so much power? It still didn't make any sense to him, but he would ask her when she regained her strength. He had no doubt that she had used all of her energy to save them and for that, he was grateful. The barrier still swirled around them, a testament to the power that was inside the young woman he held in his arms.

Before Inuyasha could think of anything else, the barrier slowly began to lift itself, still carrying its occupants until they were floating in the air in the swirling sphere. A bright light began to spread from the sop of the sphere until it was covered completely.

As suddenly as it had appeared, it disappeared and had left them somewhere else—outside of the ruins, was as much as Inuyasha was able to guess. To say Inuyasha was amazed was an understatement.

Setting her down gently, he tried to make her comfortable as possible. He all but ripped his shirt off and carefully made a makeshift pillow for her to lie on while he checked on the others.

Rearranging them so that they wouldn't be too sore when they awakened, Inuyasha crossed his legs and closed his eyes, letting himself rest somewhat. His mind was still trying to process everything that had happened.

Spiritual powers. That's what she had used. There was no other way to explain the way she had defeated the demons and obliterated the puppet Naraku had sent. He'd taken a good look at what had been pulled into the barrier and there was no doubt as to what it was. Her powers went beyond anything he had ever heard about Weavers. Hell, spiritual powers were nearly extinct and only a handful of people on the entire continent had them but he was sure not one of them was as powerful as Kagome.

Inuyasha hung his head. He had judged her harshly and for no reason other than his prejudice. She could have left them to die, she could have just saved her brother, but she hadn't. She had saved them all.

How was he ever going to apologize?

* * *

"This is impossible!" Naraku growled as the swirling, watery image he was looking at disappeared. His puppet had been defeated so easily, by a Weaver no less! He'd thought that the race had died out, like he had meant for them to do, but it seems those who had slipped through the cracks had survived for a reason.

What he saw in the water angered him. What was the possibility that there was another Weaver with spiritual powers? He was sure he had killed them all, except for the one he had picked to use in order to aid his own purposes. The girl he had wasn't even as powerful as the one he had seen working with the Watchers! His hands itched to do something, but no, he had to be sure before he proceeded with anything. His plans had not included a powerful weaver and it showed through the way she had decimated hundreds of lesser demons at once.

"Kikyo!" He bellowed, summoning her.

Appearing from the shadows, because she was never to be far away from Naraku, she inquired. "What is it that you want from me, Naraku?"

Her voice was passive, her eyes glued to the floor, betraying neither delight nor disgust. Kikyo had long ago become immune to feelings and now only a cold outer shell remained. The things she had seen—the things she had done—had eaten away at her humanity. She would have killed herself by now, but Naraku had made sure she was thwarted at every turn. She had never wanted to use her powers as a Weaver to hurt, but that was what she had been forced to do.

"I need you to confirm what I have seen." He conjured up the image he had seen in the basin and gestured for her to look.

It took every ounce of self-control to not betray emotion as she watched the scene unfold in the water. The sheer amount of spiritual power that the girl Weaver possessed gave Kikyo hope, something she had buried long ago. She herself possessed some spiritual powers, but they were nothing compared to hers.

"She has quite formidable spiritual powers." Kikyo glanced up at Naraku, who looked beyond angry. She stepped back a bit, thankful that her slippers were silent and Naraku hadn't noticed her slight retreat. Never show weakness to an enemy, or they'd eat you alive.

"We have to kill her," Naraku muttered, fists clenching and unclenching. "Leave me, now!" He growled and threw the basin at her, splashing her. I wish to form a plan without looking at your face."

Kikyo nodded, the insult and the water bouncing off of her easily. Once, it would have stung, but she was tougher now. As she stepped back into the shadows, she reached a new resolve, grabbing onto the small glimmer of hope and running with it. She knew the Watchers were coming and it was only a matter time until they arrived.

She would have to be careful, but whatever Naraku planned, Kikyo would do her best to aid the girl Weaver to defeat him. Even it meant her life.

* * *

**A/N: This was fun to write! Though I did have to go through and edit a couple of times to get it just right, I like it now. Please review to let me know how you liked it.**

** Some things just came out in this chapter, but everything (and I mean everything) shall be explained in upcoming chapters.**

** I also wanted to make a tribute to the Shikon Jewel since it's not going to be a part of this story. I still wanted to stick it somewhere and since Kagome was going to use her strongest powers, I felt that her using the name as a Weaver incatation would be acceptable. **** Oh and the miasma affects. I haven't watched the series or at least any episode with the miasma in it in a while, to I just used creative license to further my plot. Please don't hate me for that! And yes, Kikyo is a good person in this story. :) **


	5. A day of rest

**Chapter 5: A day of rest**

Souta's eyes snapped open and he jumped up. His heart was racing as he looked around and realized where he was. His wide eyes took in the barrier around them, the darkness above him and realized that Kagome had to responsible. _She used her powers to save us!_ Immediately, his eyes darted to a figure lying on the ground a few feet away from him, Inuyasha hovering over it.

With a speed he didn't know he had, he stood up and sprinted towards his sister. He could only think of the fact that Inuyasha didn't really like them and his mind leapt to the worst conclusion as he came upon the still form of his older sister.

"Get _away_ from her!"

The half-demon looked up in confusion as Souta pushed him from Kagome's side, an angry and nearly feral glare on his face. Mindful that Souta was trying to protect his sister, he backed away a few more paces to give him space.

Souta gaze roved over his sister, his hands hovering over her face, looking for any sign of hurt or damage that Inuyasha could have done. Slowly, he realized that she was fine, and in fact, looked like she had been taken care of.

"I didn't do anythin' to her, if that's what you're thinking." Inuyasha spoke from his place, sounding a little miffed that the twerp would think he'd hurt his sister while she slept. How low did he think was?

With downcast eyes, his anger seemed to have melted away as he spoke with a relieved but almost accusatory tone. "I can see that now, but you can't blame me for thinking it. You're not exactly best buddies with her." His hand moved some stray hair from his older sister's face. "She's all I have left. If anything happened to her, I couldn't live with myself."

"You're pretty noble, kid." Inuyasha spoke the words before he could bite them down. He hadn't meant to compliment him—he still wanted to keep his badass image—but it was too late. The younger boy looked up and gave him a small smile. Inuyasha thought it looked a bit like Kagome's.

_There I go again._ He sighed.

"Thanks." After a slight pause, Souta asked. "Did you see her use her powers?"

Inuyasha simply answered, "Yeah."

The boy sighed and closed his eyes, as if a weight had been placed on his shoulders. "I knew it. Kagome's the one you should be calling noble. She could have died." He grabbed her hand. "It looks like she almost did, too."

Hearing that, something in Inuyasha shook. For all that she irritated him, for all the dirt and the insults hurled at him, he didn't want her to die. He felt something surge up inside of him, something he couldn't describe.

"Keh. Of course she'd be the type."

Instead of being offended, Souta recognized this was a compliment to his sister, given the best way Inuyasha knew how. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess you could say that."

A muffled moan from the other side of the barrier cut off their conversation and caught their attention. With sluggish movements, the others began to rouse themselves up.

"Woah." Sango was the first one on her feet, though she was a bit unsteady at first. Patting herself, she was amazed to realize that her wounds and the pain she had felt before blacking out gone. She didn't even feel fatigued! Had it all been a dream? "What happened? Before anyone could answer, a muffled groan was heard.

"Where are we?" Miroku blinked and glanced up from his view on the ground. While his view of Sango's nice, round backside was a good reason not to move, it was only the fact that he didn't trust his legs yet that kept him on the ground.

Shippo moaned as he sat up, his head swimming "Is this heaven?"

Inuyasha bonked the fox demon lightly on the head. "Course it ain't, twerp."

The fox demon groaned. "Oh no, if you're here, it must be hell."

A vein nearly popped in the half-demon's face but considering the circumstances, he let it slide. He growled and went towards Miroku and helped him to his feet. The man wobbled only slightly for his part and gave himself a once over.

"This is truly remarkable. I've heard that miasma causes horrible wounds, but I don't see anything on any of us!"

Inuyasha jerked his head in Kagome's general direction. "The credit goes to her,"

Miroku followed his gaze and glanced back. "She saved us? How?"

"Ask her brother." Inuyasha shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant about it all. In reality, he was still anxious, seeing as Kagome had yet to wake up. It bothered him just a bit that he cared so much, but he didn't dwell on it the thought for long.

The others looked at Souta expectantly. He was still kneeling at Kagome's side, hands fisted in his lap, head bent and eyes on his sister's still form. Souta understood the curiosity of the other team members, really, it was only natural given what had just occurred but he couldn't bring himself to talk about his sister. Especially without her consent. If anybody was going to talk about Kagome's powers, it would have to be her and not him.

"It's better if you wait until my sister can tell you," he said quietly, looking up. "I don't feel comfortable talking about it without Kagome giving her permission." He locked eyes with Inuyasha, who nodded in understanding. Sango glanced at Miroku and gave him a look that said not to push it.

"How long were we out?" Shippo asked, wisely changing the subject.

Sango began stretching and sighed at the satisfying pops she could feel. Inuyasha sat down on the floor again, mindful of the barrier around them and answered,

"Three days."

"Three days?!" Miroku's eyes bulged in panic. "We've lost three days already? We have to move now!"

"Miroku, calm down." Sango laid a hand on his shoulder. "You need to focus if we're going to figure this out." Pulling out her map, she sat on the ground and spread it out. "First we need to figure out where we are. I'm assuming we're just outside of the ruins, but at this point it's probably a moot point to do that." Her brow furrowed in confusion as she looked up at the night sky. It was a clear night at the least and the moon's brightness was only rivaled by the glow of the barrier that still surrounded them. Oh, how she wished she knew how to read their position by the stars!

"Let me see that." Miroku glanced around them, checking to see if there were any noticeable landmarks. There was a particular boulder formation that was about a hundred paces away. Higher into the sky then what was normal, he checked his map to see if it had been recorded.

"This doesn't make sense." Miroku looked up as he confirmed that the formation was the one he saw on the map, "We can't be this far, at least not according to my calculations."

Inuyasha grabbed the map from Miroku's hand. Tracing an unseen path on it, he said, "Kagome's barrier transported us the first night. I was hoping that it was forward."

"Well, we can rest easy until Kagome wakes up." Miroku sighed, running a hand through his hair. "With the giant leap we took, we can afford some down time."

Sango sat on the floor, pulling her knees and resting her head on it. "I just hope she's okay."

All were in silent agreement as they gazed at the unconscious girl. Inuyasha still had a lot on his mind, but was pushing it away at the moment. Every moment they lost was a moment Inuyasha wasn't killing Naraku with his bare hands. There had been no mention of it, probably because the others thought they'd get sucker-punched if they did, but the death of his father weighed on him. He was trying to be immune to the feelings that threatened to boil over, knowing that he might appear weak. His brother wouldn't have this problem, but when did Sesshoumaru give a damn anyway?

He laid down on the grass, hoping that Kagome wouldn't take too long to wake up.

* * *

**A/N: A shorter chapter this time around, but the last one was long, so this chapter balances things out. Please leave a review to tell me how you liked it! I'm sorry about the delay. Life got in the way and I don't do very well when that happens. Please review.**


	6. Outside help

**Chapter 6: Outside help**

They were all still inside the barrier as the night began to turn to day. Only slightly sleepy and still next to his sister, Souta was watching the others as they flit around, trying to keep themselves busy. Remembering the battle, and his own curiosity getting the better of him, he asked, "Miroku, where's your staff and charms? I saw you fighting with them but it felt like you just conjured them out of thin air."

Miroku looked over at the curious young man from where he was perusing the map and smiled. "I didn't think you would have noticed. You're very observant."

Souta was pleased at the compliment. He liked knowing he was good at something. "Kagome does always say I have a keen eye."

"To answer your question," Miroku began, "Let me tell you a story." The older man watched as the younger man leaned in slightly, curiosity written all over his face. Though his height spoke of the man Kagome's brother would become, he was still very much a child inside. Miroku hoped that he could hold onto that for as long as he could.

"Well?"

"Oh, sorry, my thoughts ran away with me." Miroku apologized only just realizing that he had been spacing out. He continued. "A long time ago, in an era when there was much chaos and suffering, there existed a young monk. He possessed immense spiritual power as well as a kind heart." He smiled. "He did his best to help those in need, many times refusing to accept payment for his services. He did this for many years, and one day, he encountered a woman by a river. She had cried for help and the monk didn't hesitate to help her. When she offered to pay him with silver and gold, he refused, saying that he had already had the greatest gift of all; her gratitude."

"What a nice monk." Souta muttered as Miroku paused.

Miroku nodded his agreement and said, "Well, to his surprise, the woman revealed herself to be the kami of the river. She was so impressed that he hadn't wanted the payment that she said she would grant him one wish for being so selfless." Miroku closed his eyes and laid down, trying to remember how the story had been told to him by his own father. "Now, the monk was older and it was harder for him to move around. He knew that soon, he would need aid to walk and so he asked the river kami to bequeath him with a sturdy staff so that he could continue helping people until the day he died."

"And what did she say? She might have been offended that he asked something so simple from her!" Souta exclaimed, now very much invested in the story. He almost fell over in his excitement and he quickly caught himself. He didn't want to squish his sister!

Miroku laughed. "She could have, but she wasn't. She understood the old monk's deep seeded desire to help others so she did him one better. She gave him an indestructible staff that also had the ability to amplify his powers when he used it. She said it would be very useful. The old monk wept his thanks and continued to help others until his dying day. Then and only then, did he pass down the staff to his nephew, who also showed great potential with his spiritual powers. Since then, the staff has been passed through generations of my family. It is always given to the most promising child of the generation, and this time around, it just happened to be me." He grinned. "Before me, my father held the staff, and before him it was my grandmother. It was a very happy day when he presented it to me, out of all my cousins."

"Is that why you joined the Watchers?" Souta asked. "To live up to your family's legacy?"

Miroku carefully considered the question. "In part, maybe, but I also wanted to help protect those who can't protect themselves. I didn't want to just wander around the country, I wanted to accomplish something larger than that." He paused, trying to gather the rest of his thoughts. "I knew that joining the Watchers would help me accomplish my dream. I proved myself in the elimination rounds and now I'm here."

"Okay, but where's the staff now?" Souta asked, eyebrow raised. Miroku had to admit that the expression was reminiscent of his older sister.

"Right here," Miroku pulled a chain around his neck. "The magic of the staff allows it to absorb spells easily, so I shrink it to this size for convenience sake's. Every once in a while, you might see me use it for something other than battles. As for the charms," Miroku said quickly, just as Souta opened his mouth to ask about it. "I just keep them up my sleeves." He reached into his sleeves and pulled some out with a silly grin on his face. "Literally."

Souta's resulting laugh caused the silver-haired demon to glance in their direction. He was still hovering in Kagome's area, still at a loss at what to do or even what to feel. On the one hand, Kagome's lack of reaction frustrated him to no end but yet the same inaction caused him to feel anxious and worried. He was really losing his head over all of this. At least Souta wasn't all gloom and doom like he'd been for a while after he'd woken up. He was taking good care of his sister.

Inuyasha sighed and crossed his arms. He just cared too much. That was his problem. His stupid human side made him weak, made him feel the need to care. Sometimes, he really hated being half-demon for that reason. It just made everything harder to let go. His brother, though, didn't give a damn for anyone. Hell, he'd often wondered if he felt any type of affection for their father, like he did. But no, he wouldn't think of his father just yet, there was a time and place for that.

He looked at the sleeping maiden's form and hoped to goodness that she'd wake up and they could set things straight.

* * *

Kikyo was doing her best to stay out of sight as she walked down the corridors in the castle. Looking over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being followed, she finally reached her destination. She did her best to not look suspicious as she stood straight, facing the wall she had stopped at and placing a hand lightly on the cold, grey stone. With a muttered incantation, the stone began to part enough for Kikyo to get through, revealing a lightly furnished, modestly size room on the other side.

She was really lucky that Naraku had been so angry lately that he started to demand her presence less and less. It was likely because she was a Weaver herself. Truly, she felt relieved, since she had already come up with a plan and was doing her best to get it underway. It was the least she could do to start atoning for her many sins. Closing her eyes as the emotions began to bubble up, she breathed in and out for a minute, stamping down on what she really wanted to feel. There was no use in feeling guilty now; she needed to focus on her goal.

The room she was in was just for that purpose. She had found the incantation to create a room like this from a book she had managed to save from a Weaver village. It was complex Weaver magic, though, and took several attempts until she used some of her spiritual powers to aid her before she finally was able to construct it. It had weakened her considerably and Naraku had even noticed, but through luck, she had been able to divert his attentions somewhere else.

Quickly, she looked for the small basin of water she had managed to sneak in hours earlier. Spotting it on a table next to her, Kikyo grabbed it and waved her hand over it. "_Suminagashi_,"

The image she wanted began to paint itself on the water until it was a crystal clear scene. Kikyo silently admired her own work as she took in the moving image. The group she had seen with the girl Weaver seemed to all be fine and were up and about, but the girl Weaver herself was still on the floor, looking like she was just resting.

_She must have used a lot of her energy._ Kikyo thought. As she surveyed the scene, she kept noticing that there was a rather shimmery quality to the image. Taking a closer look and doing her best to clarify the image, she realized that there was a barrier around the group.

_If she's strong enough to sustain a barrier even while resting, she has a good chance_! Kikyo felt the small flicker of hope inside her fan itself into a flame. Yes, she had been right to put her hope into this Weaver girl. She just hoped her help could tip the scales in the right direction.

It didn't take long for Kikyo to figure out where they were. Pulling a map from her sturdy shelf, she put their location down and bit her lip in concentration as she wondered what she could possibly do to help them on their way. She knew that the girl had to wake up, but how long would it take? Kikyo certainly didn't know when that would be. Maybe she could start with that? It was certainly simple enough for her to help on that score.

Taking a handful of water, she used her powers to make a perfect sphere. Once it was perfect, she held it out and waved a hand over it, whispering a healing incantation. The sphere of water shimmered for an instant and then returned to normal, except now the water seemed to sparkle in the light.

Kikyo admired her work and gently let it go, letting the air in the rush towards the sphere to hold it aloft. Slowly, she deposited the sparkling sphere into the basin that still held the image of the group. It sank in without displacing any water and reappeared in the image itself. The raven-haired woman sighed in relief. The sphere lowered itself and passed through the barrier. The sphere broke its shape to lightly mist onto the girl and the effect was nearly immediate. She began to stir. Kikyo nearly clapped with triumph.

"Come quickly," Kikyo whispered to the image. "Before Naraku gets to you first."

* * *

_ Kagome was in her old home again. She recognized the simple but elegant style her mother decorated with. She was currently sitting at the kitchen table, her mother cooking in front of her and her grandfather laughing merrily at something a now younger-looking Souta said._

_ She had sat there for a while and wondered why her mind had decided to use this scene from her memories to help revitalize her. She felt like she had only been sitting and watching her family for fifteen minutes at most, but she knew that it must have been hours, maybe even days since she had been awake in the real world. She sighed, feeling a deep melancholy and folded her hands in her lap. She truly missed her family, especially her mother. She wished that she could say something, but Kagome was scared. She didn't know what to say. Suddenly, she heard her mother speak, looking directly at her with a pleased smile._

_ "Kagome, dear, it seems that you've been here long enough. A friend of yours just sent me something for you." She held out a glass of water. "Drink this. Your friends are waiting for you."_

_ To say the least, Kagome was shocked that her dream-mother was speaking to her, but she took the glass of water and downed it. It tasted incredibly good, almost like the spring water that she used to drink as a child._

_ As she drank the last drop, the scene around her began to melt into darkness. Kagome suddenly felt very sleepy and as she fell to the floor, she wondered if this was her way out._

* * *

**A/N: Alright guys, leaving it here for now! I hope you guys are enjoying the story. Please review!**

**Suminagashi: An ancient japanese for of art. Pretty cool when you see it.**


	7. Heart to Heart

**Chapter 7: Heart to Heart**

The first thing Kagome noticed was the brightness and heat of the noon-day sun. It burned the back of her eyelids as she slowly came to. Fluttering her eyes to get used to the sun's rays, she heard the shouts of joy and surprise around her. She couldn't immediately distinguish them, since her mind was still a little foggy, but if her instincts were right, a voice seemed to be missing. Panic entered her heart and she bolted upright, which only served to make her nauseas and her head spin.

"Kagome!" Souta was the closest to her, having been playing with the grass only a few feet away. Without any regard to anything else, he threw his arms around his older sister, hugging her fiercely and with the love that only a brother could give.

"Souta," Kagome croaked. She ignored how her stomach flipped in favor of returning her little brother's hug. She silently thanked the heavens that he was alright. Pulling back, she took her brother's face in her hands, turning him this way and that to see if there was anything wrong with him.

"Kagome, I'm fine! Stop treating like a kid." Souta whined and pouted, but even though he didn't like it, he really wasn't expecting Kagome to listen. When she laughed, Souta smiled, relieved. If she could laugh, then she was fine.

"Souta, you're my little brother no matter how old you get. I'll treat you like a kid 'til I'm so old, I can't even walk!"

Miroku, Sango and Shippo laughed silently as they watched the siblings reunite. Sango, in particular, felt deeply moved and wished that she could still hug her brother like that. The thought made her shoulders slouch and her smile falter just a bit. She hoped no one had seen.

From her side, Miroku could see that something was bothering his dear Sango. Watching the siblings in front of him, he could easily guess where her thoughts were. Trying to be reassuring, he put an around her shoulders tentatively. He watched Sango tense for a moment, (he was praying her hand didn't come up to slap the life out of him) but sighed in relief when the tension left her shoulders and instead leaned into him for support. She shyly glanced up at him, a blush dusting her cheeks. Miroku smiled softly at her. They stayed that way for a second, until Sango pulled away to greet Kagome.

Kagome had just finished speaking with her brother when she noticed Sango had moved towards her. Souta jumped up to give them space and began talking animatedly with Shippo.

"Kagome, I'm so glad you're okay. You really had us worried." Sango grabbed her friend's hands. "Even Inuyasha was beside himself."

The moment Sango mentioned his name, Kagome realized he wasn't among the group. Glancing around, she saw that he was on the outermost part of the barrier, facing the outside. Even with his posture, Kagome knew that he was listening by the way his ears twitched. She wondered why he was over there if what Sango had said was right. Kagome chalked it up to the fact that he was still dealing with the death of his father. She was definitely going to talk to him later.

"Oh really?" Kagome asked, not really believing her. Inuyasha, worries for her? As if. "Tell me, how beside himself was he?"

Sango, not aware that Inuyasha was listening to their conversation, began gushing. "Well, he was the only one that hadn't fallen to the poison of the miasma, and since we were out for three days, who do you think was taking care of us, especially you?"

"We were out for three days?!" Kagome's eyes bulged at that fact, Inuyasha's care not registering in the wake of her

Sango nodded. "And Inuyasha made sure we were alright the whole time. Souta nearly tore his head off when he saw how close he was to you, but you looked very comfortable." She winked at her.

Now Kagome was confused. Maybe he felt like he owed her since she had saved him and his friends? She glanced at Inuyasha, who still wouldn't face her, and noted how tense he looked. What was that all about? Changing the subject, Kagome inquired about the rest of the group. Still, she couldn't get the fact that Inuyasha had helped her out of her head.

* * *

The two friends sat there for a good while until Kagome felt well enough to stand. After explaining her symptoms, the others had been very caring and helpful. All except for Inuyasha, who had yet to utter a word to her. Kagome frowned in annoyance as she took down the barrier that had protected the group for the past few days. The curious looks that she received as she did didn't go unnoticed by the Weaver. She knew she would have to say something, but now was not the time.

"We should get going while we still have some daylight," She turned to the other as they took up what little they had left with them. "And we should probably do our best to find some food."

Shippo perked up at the mention of food. "Yeah, I'm getting kind of hungry. Aren't you, Souta?"

Souta pulled an agonized expression. "I'm dying of hunger. Let's go find something!"

"Let me check the map. I thought I saw a river near here." Miroku volunteered.

Kagome smiled as everyone began to chatter cheerfully with each other. Inuyasha, she assumed, was off somewhere else and she sighed at the fact that he had successfully avoided her the whole time. Just as she was picking some grass out the crease of her pants, she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're okay."

The young woman turned her head as Inuyasha brushed past her, not meeting her eyes. He joined the conversation on food and acted normally, like nothing had ever happened. Kagome just stood there, dumbfounded by the soft words the half-demon had whispered in her ear. And the way he had said them . . . Kagome felt something flutter in her stomach. He had meant those words. Truly meant them.

"Kagome, there's a river a couple of hours from here! We can make it there before the sun goes down!"

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she cheerfully ran to the group, just happy that everyone was alright and together.

As they settled down near the fire, after an eventful and hilarious expedition to catch fish that involved snapping fish, a couple of _Osuwari's _and a lot of slipping, Kagome could feel the curious glances thrown her way every once in while. Tactfully, as the others were busy with cooking the fish on sticks, Souta pulled Kagome aside and explained what had happened after most of them had woken up.

"I know, Souta. I'm going to have to tell them." Kagome sighed. "And I will—right after we eat."

Souta nodded. "Good. I know you might feel uncomfortable, but we can trust them." He then laughed to himself. "Even Inuyasha,"

"You too?" Kagome looked surprised. "First Sango and now, you. What exactly did Inuyasha do to change your opinion of him?"

"He took care of you, Kagome. Also, in an off-handed way, complimented you." He smiled softly. "He called you noble and anyone who can recognize how amazing my older sister is, is good in my book."

Kagome smiled and patted her brother's head. "Thanks for thinking so highly of me Souta."

The two siblings ended their conversation there and quickly returned to the fire. The fish had been roasted to a nice golden color and as she ate, Kagome considered this one of the nicer meals she'd had in the outdoors. Most meals she had eaten while looking for Souta had been meager, but every once in a while she was able to nab something halfway decent. She ate the fish to the bone and felt a heck of a lot better now that she had a full belly.

"So," Kagome broke the silence that had descended on the group after finishing their food. "I suppose you'd like to know exactly what happened back in the Ruins."

Instantly, she had the attention of everyone. Even Inuyasha looked at her expectantly, almost with anticipation. Gathering her courage, she began to explain.

"Souta and I descend from a family line of priestesses, the very first of which, was the legendary priestess Midoriko."

Miroku nodded enthusiastically in recognition, having heard the tales from his father. "You're really descended from her?"

"Yes," Kagome nodded with a smile. "She was legendary for a reason." She glanced at the others. "She could purify a thousand demons, no sweat, but she didn't work alone. She had a companion and his name was Akio. Together, they were a formidable pair and saved many lives. One day, they saved a great forest Kami, one of the most powerful in the land, from hordes of demons that were gathering to attack this Kami's forest. The Kami, recognizing their honor and valor, gave them each one wish."

"I would wish for lots of food!" Shippo shouted out of nowhere, making the others laugh. Inuyasha smacked the kid on the head and told him to shush and keep quiet. Kagome grinned and had to keep herself from laughing to continue her story.

"Midoriko, ever mindful of the future, wished for her powers to continue only in the female line of her descendants. The Kami granted the wish. Her companion, Akio, asked to be as powerful as Midoriko. The Kami granted the wish, giving him power over her own dominion, second only to her and thus, the first Weaver came into existence."

"Sounds so fantastical," Sango whispered. She was really enjoying the story.

Kagome shrugged. "It does, a little, but since I do have her powers, it's easier to swallow.

"But if Midoriko only had spiritual powers, how are you a weaver and descended from her? Did she marry that Akio guy?" Inuyasha asked, wondering in the back of his mind how to put two and two together.

Kagome was pleased to see that Inuyasha had been listening to her story. "I'll explain that with the next part of the story." Returning to her more serious mien, she continued. "After a while, Midoriko and Akio separated, and while Akio settled down and had his family, Midoriko continued fighting against evil demons that threatened the peace. That is, until she was cursed by a foul demon named Onigumo. He had once been human, but he had sold his soul for power. With his dying breath, he tried to seal Midoriko's powers so that they would never be passed on. Midoriko didn't believe that the evil demon's magic was strong enough to overpower the great forest Kami's own magic, but when she had her family she realized that not all her daughters had the Gift, as she called it. She accepted it and gradually thought nothing of it." Kagome paused for breath. "Eventually, she reconnected with her old friend Akio and decided to settle her family near his. As a result, one of her great-granddaughters married a great grandson of Akio's family. This is where my family line connects with the main Weaver family line."

"And since then your family has all been weavers?" Miroku asked, intrigued.

"Yes, all." Kagome nodded. "Except for those very few born without Weaver magic, nearly everyone can use their powers. It's an instinct, but Akio perfected the art and trained his children what he learned. The knowledge accumulated is passed on to those who wish to raise their control of their powers." She gestured to Souta. "Souta is an Apprentice, a Weaver in process of being trained. I have already completed my training, so I'm a Master."

"Keh."

Kagome rolled her eyes at the disbelieving snort Inuyasha couldn't contain. Some things just never changed. Ignoring him in favor of explaining her own powers. "Because of my priestess powers, I can enhance my Weaver magic. It helps for the magic to be less chaotic and can be used to infuse healing power into things like water. What you guys saw in the fight," Kagome paused again. "was me using my powers to their fullest extent. I can purify demons easily," She gave a pointed look to Inuyasha, hoping to at least sound a little menacing, but he only rolled his eyes. "And I can create barriers. Although," Kagome paused while thinking. "I don't know how my barrier transported us. It's only happened to me twice and I was awake when it happened."

"It might be a self-preservation mechanism." Miroku offered. "Spiritual powers usually kick in in dire situations."

The young raven-haired woman nodded, thinking about the circumstances of both events. "I guess, but I've always been awake and aware of the danger. I was out when it happened after my barrier was erected."

"It was really bright," Inuyasha spoke up, wanting to be a part of the conversation. He didn't like that Kagome was ignoring him again. It twisted his gut into a knot. "And it started from the top of the barrier and spread out. Once the light dissipated, we were outside the ruins. Everyone also seemed to be fine."

This was the first time that Inuyasha had mentioned anything from before Kagome had woken up. His gaze met hers for a second, but he quickly averted his eyes. Kagome thought she saw a glimmer of something in his eye, something she couldn't put a name to. Deciding not to dwell on it, she continued answering her friend's questions well into the night, until it was finally decided that sleep was needed. They were going to travel most of the day and some of the night to get to Naraku quicker. Already, some effects of the miasma could be seen. Trees were starting to lose their leaves when it wasn't even the season for their leaves to fall and when Kagome put her hand to the ground to sense her surroundings, she could almost feel the pain that nature was feeling because of the poisonous gas.

Kagome tried her best to sleep, but when she finally succumbed, she was assaulted by frightening images of blood and death, of her family being killed in front of her, of losing her brother and almost being caught by the bounty hunters. She woke up in a cold sweat and physically had to make sure that her brother was alright. After feeling Souta's pulse, Kagome sighed in relief. Her heart was still pounding against her chest. Sighing, she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. At least she could sort out the day's events without any distractions.

When Kagome returned to where she had laid down to sleep, she realized with a start that Inuyasha was missing from the group. He had looked peacefully asleep when she had wandered to where her brother was sleeping nearer the fire. She debated with herself whether or not she even cared, but in the end, something inside her said that she cared enough to see where he was. Besides, she hadn't gotten around to talking to him. Maybe he was thinking about his father. Knowing that she could bring someone comfort when she herself had no one made her look for him.

She found him in sitting in one of the trees that was still standing strong. Kagome smiled fondly at the tree as she pressed her hand to the bark. It was an old and stubborn tree and wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"What's with the goofy face?"

Kagome jumped at Inuyasha's voice, though she should have known that he would have heard her coming. "It's nothing, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha snorted in disbelief. "Keh. It ain't nothing if you're smiling about it, Kagome."

The young woman looked up sharply at the unexpected comment. He had called her by her name _and_ off-handedly complimented her? Who the hell was this man and where had he hidden the old Inuyasha? (Not that she truly minded, but still, he kept throwing her off.)

"Gonna keep catchin' flies with your mouth or are you goin' to come up?" Inuyasha yelled down gruffly.

Kagome closed her mouth (which she hadn't noticed was open in surprise) and decided to take the Inuhanyou's invitation. Gripping the branches above her, she used some of her powers to bring the branches towards her. She sat next to him on the branch, which was thankfully big enough to sustain their weight. She fortified the tree a little just to make sure.

Once she was comfortable, she glanced up and took in the sights. The space that they occupied had a great view of the bright and softly twinkling stars that dotted the night sky. Now that Kagome was next to him, she didn't know how to broach the subject of his father, so for the time being she stayed silent and watched the stars.

"I'm sorry."

Kagome jumped and glanced at Inuyasha with confusion. "Sorry for what?"

Inuyasha avoided her penetrating gaze. "Sorry for being such an ass before." He paused briefly. "I was afraid that you wouldn't—that you wouldn't wake up. It made me think." A claw picked at the bark on the tree. "I realized that I wasn't fair to you. You're not as horrible as I thought."

At this, a laugh burst out of Kagome. For a second, Inuyasha thought he was going to plummet to hit the ground, but then she placed a hand on his shoulder. When he turned to just glance at her, he couldn't look away. She was closer than he had realized and her smile was bright, like the stars. His stomach flipped and his mouth went dry. Was he suddenly getting sick?

Kagome interrupted his thoughts. "I'm glad you think I'm not horrible." She chuckled. "And I'll accept your apology, on one condition."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "What condition?"

"That you accept mine." She said in a softer voice, glancing away shyly. "I didn't have to call you those names or use my powers unfairly on you either."

Now it was Inuyasha's turn to grin. "I don't know if I could forgive you for making me eat dirt."

"Well, you deserved that one. How else were you going to take me seriously?" Kagome looked at him with a smug smile.

"You have a good point." He laughed.

Kagome held out her hand towards him. "Friends?"

Inuyasha briefly wondered if _friend_ could really describe what he felt but he didn't dwell on that thought and took Kagome's hand, which was soft and fit into his hand nicely. "Friends,"

Comfortable silence descended on the newly minted friends. Kagome looked to the sky and Inuyasha looked at Kagome while pretending he was looking at the ground. He couldn't believe how easy it had been to resolve things. He was expecting at least a couple of _Osuwari's_ and maybe a couple of insults. Man, he'd really been stupid this time around.

A soft smile spread on Kagome's lips and Inuyasha wondered why. As if she had heard the unspoken question, Kagome spoke up.

"I love watching the stars like this. It reminds me of my family, particularly my father."

"Your father?" He whispered, trying his hardest not to remember his own father at the moment.

"Mhmm." She nodded. "He died when I was little, but I remember when we used to go out on nights like this and he'd tell me stories. They're some of the happiest memories I have of my childhood. Then, when the armies came to destroy our town and kill us all, my father managed to save us, but only at the cost of his life." She looked down, her hands now folded together. "After that, things weren't the same but my mother and grandfather did their best for me and Souta to have a happy childhood, even if we were in hiding."

Now Inuyasha really felt guilty for treating her so horribly. And even worse, his father had been the one to send the armies and what ultimately killed most of Kagome's family. He hadn't ever questioned it nor had he ever thought any different from his father towards the Weavers. Especially after what happened to his mother.

"So it's only you and Souta now then." Inuyasha stated.

"Just me and him." Kagome confirmed. She then looked at him earnestly. "I know how it feels to lose family, Inuyasha. It's why I hold on to my brother and why I would do anything to make sure he was alright." She gave a bitter laugh. "Heck, it's how your brother got me into this. But, if there's ever something you want to talk about, I'll listen. We're friends, right?"

Inuyasha gazed into Kagome's blue-gray eyes and something in them made his breath catch. She was being completely honest with him by telling him about her feelings. She wasn't trying to trick him—he'd catch that real quick—and she wasn't trying to gain anything from him. So perhaps, he could try doing the same? It was worth a shot.

"My mother was killed while I was in training with my tetusaiga. I was too late,"He looked away, the claws on his hand digging into the bark as he felt the pain wash over him. "I heard the commotion—they weren't trying to be subtle—and ran as fast as I could, but by the time I got there, my mother was crumpled on the floor." He shut his eyes as the image came unbidden into his mind. "She had been suffocated, but when she was examined, there wasn't a sign of anything wrong on her face or neck. My father launched an investigation and it was discovered that a Weaver had been the culprit."

"Oh," Kagome gasped, a hand going to her mouth. How tragic was it to be strong and not be able to protect those you loved. She could sense that Inuyasha felt guilty about not getting there in time.

"My father," Inuyasha paused, trying his best to put his thoughts into words. "He was never the same again. My mother's death destroyed him and his anger was equal to none. I had never seen him so angry. Because of that, he ordered your people to be annihilated. He was a madman for the first few weeks until he gradually fell into a depression."

"Your father must have loved your mother very much."

Inuyasha could see the tears in her eyes. "You would cry for someone who destroyed your life?" He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Kagome wiped the moisture from her eyes. "Even though I will never understand his actions and I will always hate what happened, I think I can understand his feelings. I wanted to hurt the men who had killed my family. To avenge them, but I was too scared and I had to look for my little brother. But don't mind me. Please, continue." She gave Inuyasha a small smile to encourage him.

The inuhanyou sighed. A crying girl was the last thing he was apt to deal with. "My father kept everyone away from him, even my brother and I. It was a lonely couple of months. Somehow, though, my father gradually came back to life. He spent more time with me in particular and I loved it." A crushing weight settled in his gut. "But he's gone now and I won't ever see him again." He chosked out. At this, he felt Kagome's hand slip into his and squeeze. He took care to squeeze back, but not crush her hand. He angrily swiped at his eyes, hating the treacherous moisture building up. "Sometimes, I really hate being half human. I'm so goddamn weak. I can't do shit like Sesshoumaru can. I wish I didn't have to feel the pain."

"Your feelings don't make you weak, Inuyasha. In fact, they make you stronger." Kagome's voice was strong as she continued, her hand firmly in Inuyasha's. "You can understand others, something that your brother doesn't seem capable of." She shuddered as she remembered the piercing cold gaze that so differed from the warm amber-gold she was looking at now. "It makes you a better person and firmer in everything you do. Don't you want to defeat Naraku even more now?"

"Hell yeah I do. Ain't nothin' gonna stop me from bringing that bastard down on his knees."

"See? Your feelings will give you strength, even when they feel crushing. And you're lucky," Kagome gave him a rueful smile. "You're only half human, while the rest of us 'measly' humans have to deal with the whole lot."

Inuyasha surprised himself by laughing. He really couldn't feel mopey when she was around him. He had been so anxious and unsettled for so long, that now he felt lighter and freer, as if he could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. And that light was Kagome.

As they continued to talk and to acquaint themselves better, Kagome was starting to nod off. The half-demon offered to carry her safely to the ground, and to his surprise, she gratefully accepted. He jumped off the branch with ease and gingerly placed Kagome down. A soft goodnight later, and she was walking away, back towards the fire.

As she walked away, Inuyasha could feel a resolve forming inside him. Whatever the cost, whatever the circumstance, he would protect Kagome and her brother. He would protect the pretty smile she would show him so that she could always smile at him that way.

_Don't worry Kagome, I'll protect you._

* * *

Naraku frowned as he threw the potion he'd been making into the fire. There was just nothing he could do to keep that little group away from his castle. He had things to do, kingdoms to take over. He didn't have time to play around with little pawns. Hurriedly, he started to look through his extensive book collection. All the ancient dark arts as he remembered them were scrawled into these books. He needed to get rid of the Weaver girl first and foremost. Her powers were worrisome. He had only ever encountered powers like hers once before . . . but no, it couldn't be. Could it?

_That witch Urasue's book should be around here somewhere. _Naraku wasn't going to leave things halfway done, not like last time. Finding the exact book, he perused its pages until he found the dark magic he wanted. _Soul seekers._

Grabbing a piece of chalk, he drew the diagrams that the book indicated on the table nearest him. He chanted the ancient language of the magic and gave the specifics of the soul he was looking for. Cutting his hand for the blood needed to complete the soul seeking magic, he watched closely. Suddenly, small opaque orbs began to appear from the markings on the table. They whizzed and whirled around until a dark light connected to them from the center of the diagram. If the soul seekers remained white, then the soul he was looking for was still in limbo, waiting to be reincarnated. If they suddenly became red, it meant that the soul he was looking for was being used. He did not want the latter to happen.

He only had to wait a moment before the orbs turned a deep, blood red. He fisted his hands in anger. It couldn't be! The spheres then began to move and positioned themselves so that the center light faced him. Suddenly, a mirror began to form from the center until the edges where the soul seeker orbs were.

"Show me who has it." He spat. The mirror image then changed from his own reflection, until he was looking at, as he had suspected, at the Weaver girl from the little group feebly attempting to stop him. She was asleep, unaware of the eveil presence watching her.

Naraku nearly roared in anger. Even after all these centuries, how was it that _she_ was still meddling into his plans?! He gripped the table until splinters began to gouge his skin, but he didn't care. He needed that Weaver girl out of the picture and before she realized her full potential. If she did, Naraku would lose everything he had worked for. Without much forethought, a plan began to form in his mind. Something brilliant, something that was sure to give him the best advantage.

Instead of keeping the girl away, he would walk them into a trap. Yes, it would be perfectly easy. Kikyo, the foolish wench, didn't think he knew that she'd help the Weaver's group. Did she truly think she could deceive him, the greatest deceiver of all time? She was certainly foolish, but maybe now he wouldn't just straight up kill her like he had been planning to do. She would certainly work into his new plans.

Naraku grinned evilly and cracked his fingers to get to work. Dark magic wasn't going to work itself.

* * *

**A/N: And here is where the plot thickens my friends. We'll be taking a nosedive into the rest of the story and hopefully, everything will make sense in the end. There's a lot of backstory that will be revealed as the chapters go one from here. Some things are obvious, others are not. I hope you guys will keep reading and reviewing!**

**~Daichi**

**P.S This chapter reached a little more than nine pages. (nearly 5,000 words and that's not including my author's notes!) It's the longest yet and I hope it makes up for not updating as quickly as I said I would. **


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